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Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER)

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Articles 61 - 90 of 686

Full-Text Articles in Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research

Building A World-Class Learning System: Insights From Some Top-Performing School Systems, Geoff N. Masters Aug 2023

Building A World-Class Learning System: Insights From Some Top-Performing School Systems, Geoff N. Masters

School and system improvement

The result of a multi-year study, this book explores how five school systems - British Columbia, Estonia, Finland, Hong Kong and South Korea - have been rethinking and reforming their schools systems. It addresses questions including: What policies need to be in place for every child to experience an engaging and supportive learning environment that motivates not only high performance but a desire to keep learning? What do students really need to know and be able to do to thrive in a changing world? How can systems engage in ongoing improvement while also cultivating innovation? The book provides a framework …

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Engaging Young Female Students In Digital Technology Programs: Part One, Sarah Buckley, Syeda Kashfee Ahmed, Kristy Osborne, Celia Mcneilly, Shani Sniedze, Rachel Felgate Jul 2023

Engaging Young Female Students In Digital Technology Programs: Part One, Sarah Buckley, Syeda Kashfee Ahmed, Kristy Osborne, Celia Mcneilly, Shani Sniedze, Rachel Felgate

Digital learning research

This report is part of a larger project commissioned by CSIRO and designed to highlight the enablers and barriers to young female students engaging with digital technology. By addressing this function, the report will thereby aid CSIRO to increase the participation of young female students in the digital technology programs offered by CSIRO’s Education and Outreach (CEdO) unit. CSIRO’s Digital Careers team have developed activities and resources to enhance and extend students’ computational thinking skills and to develop other integral skills such as teamwork, critical and creative thinking, and problem solving. In collaboration with industry partners, CEdO are responsible for …

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International Comparison Of Tertiary Education Systems, Ian Teo, Michelle Hsien, Sarah Buckley, Anita Roberts Jun 2023

International Comparison Of Tertiary Education Systems, Ian Teo, Michelle Hsien, Sarah Buckley, Anita Roberts

Higher education research

This report is designed to review high performing tertiary systems internationally (Germany, Norway, the United Kingdom, Korea, Singapore and New Zealand) and compare these systems to Australia. This review highlights best practice in international tertiary education systems as well as system weaknesses by considering the following criteria for each country of interest: Tertiary education system performance, including participation, attainment, labour market outcomes, and public and private returns for tertiary education; The national context, including the shape of the broader education system, and relevant demographic and economic characteristics; The structure of tertiary education systems, including linkages between higher education and vocational …

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Progress In International Reading Literacy Study: Australia’S Results From Pirls 2021, Kylie Hillman, Elizabeth O'Grady, Sima Rodrigues, Marina Schmid, Sue Thomson May 2023

Progress In International Reading Literacy Study: Australia’S Results From Pirls 2021, Kylie Hillman, Elizabeth O'Grady, Sima Rodrigues, Marina Schmid, Sue Thomson

Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS)

Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) is a large-scale assessment that measures how effective countries are in teaching reading literacy. Conducted every five years since 2001 (with Australia participating since 2011), PIRLS provides information about how to improve teaching and learning so that young students become accomplished and self-sufficient readers. In Australia, almost 5,500 Year 4 students participated in PIRLS 2021. These students completed tests in reading comprehension and answered questionnaires on their background and experiences in learning reading at school. To inform educational policy in the participating countries, alongside the assessment of reading literacy, PIRLS also routinely collects …

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Engaging Young Female Students In Digital Technology Programs: Part Two, Kristy Osborne, Rachel Felgate, Sarah Buckley Apr 2023

Engaging Young Female Students In Digital Technology Programs: Part Two, Kristy Osborne, Rachel Felgate, Sarah Buckley

Digital learning research

This report is part of a larger project commissioned by CSIRO and designed to highlight the enablers and barriers to young female students engaging with digital technology through a primary research project. This research aimed to gain insight from teachers, students and tertiary educators in order to trace the pathway from primary through to tertiary digital technology education. The perspectives of these stakeholders are compared with the findings from Part One of the project. Part Two of the larger project relates to a primary research project designed to gain further insight into the factors that facilitate and hinder young female …

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Acer 2021-2022 Annual Report, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer) Mar 2023

Acer 2021-2022 Annual Report, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

ACER Annual Reports

No abstract provided.

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Analysis Of Early Childhood Education And Learning Outcomes In The Pacific, Dan Cloney, Yung Nietschke, Jeffery Marshall Feb 2023

Analysis Of Early Childhood Education And Learning Outcomes In The Pacific, Dan Cloney, Yung Nietschke, Jeffery Marshall

Early Childhood Education

There is strong evidence supporting early childhood education (ECE) programmes as an effective way to support children to have the best start in life, especially for the most disadvantaged children. When high‐quality programmes are established – where quality is assured, and barriers to participation eliminated – large positive effects are observed that are sustained into adulthood. Indeed, substantial positive returns on public investment in ECE programmes are reported. When low‐quality programmes are taken to scale in the market, however, smaller effects or no effects are observed. This is attributed to failure to get quality right. And when quality is too …

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Iea International Civic And Citizenship Education Study 2022: Assessment Framework, Wolfram Schulz, Julian Fraillon, Bruno Losito, Gabriella Agrusti, John Ainley, Valeria Damiani, Tim Friedman Jan 2023

Iea International Civic And Citizenship Education Study 2022: Assessment Framework, Wolfram Schulz, Julian Fraillon, Bruno Losito, Gabriella Agrusti, John Ainley, Valeria Damiani, Tim Friedman

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

The International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) investigates the preparation of young people to undertake their roles as citizens. It gathers and analyzes data from representative national samples on students’ conceptual knowledge and understanding of civics and citizenship, as well as their attitudes to, and engagement with, aspects of civics and citizenship. ICCS builds on a succession of IEA studies in this field dating back to 1971, and especially since 2009. The 2022 study has been developed to build on previous perspectives on, and monitor changes in, such enduring issues as: levels of civic knowledge and understanding; patterns of …

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School Improvement Tool: Literature Review, Fabienne Van Der Kleij, Pauline Taylor-Guy, Christina Rogers Jan 2023

School Improvement Tool: Literature Review, Fabienne Van Der Kleij, Pauline Taylor-Guy, Christina Rogers

School and system improvement

The School Improvement Tool (SIT) identifies practices of highly effective schools and schools which have undergone substantial improvement, based on evidence from the international literature. It is made up of nine inter-related domains, or areas of practice. This literature review presents a thematic synthesis of the research evidence across the nine domains of the School Improvement Tool. This review underpinned the development of the School Improvement Tool, as the Second iteration of the National School Improvement Tool.

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School Improvement Tool: A Summary Of The Underpinning Research, Christina Rogers, Fabienne Van Der Kleij, Pauline Taylor-Guy Jan 2023

School Improvement Tool: A Summary Of The Underpinning Research, Christina Rogers, Fabienne Van Der Kleij, Pauline Taylor-Guy

School and system improvement

In 2023, ACER published the School Improvement Tool (SIT), the second iteration of the National School Improvement Tool (NSIT). A comprehensive review of international research was undertaken to inform the development of the SIT which consists of nine inter-related domains that describe the practices of highly effective schools and leaders. This document provides a summary of research evidence that underpins each of the nine domains of the SIT. Acknowledging interdependencies between domains, it presents a narrative of key evidence and research-based considerations for each domain. Further detail about the evidence for each domain can be found in the School Improvement …

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School Improvement Tool, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer) Jan 2023

School Improvement Tool, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

School and system improvement

Research shows the powerful impact that school leadership teams can have in improving the quality of teaching and learning. Effective leaders create cultures of high expectations, provide clarity about what teachers are to teach and students are to learn, establish strong professional learning communities, and lead ongoing school-wide efforts to improve teaching practices. The School Improvement Tool describes the practices of highly effective schools and school leaders. The SIT assists schools to review and reflect on their strategies to improve the quality of classroom teaching and learning. It supports school-wide conversations – including with families, school governing bodies, local communities, …

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Reform Challenges In School Education, Geoff N. Masters Jan 2023

Reform Challenges In School Education, Geoff N. Masters

School and system improvement

The central thesis of this paper has been that the challenges now confronting schools globally will require fundamental reforms of the external frameworks within which schools work. Today’s challenges to better prepare young people for the future and to ensure that every student learns successfully will not be met by simply expecting teachers to change what they do or by making minor adjustments to current curricula, assessment, examination, reporting and credentialling arrangements. Today’s challenges require deep reforms and a willingness to reimagine—in other words, to ‘transform’ existing learning systems. This is essential because the external frameworks within which teachers and …

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Acer 2020-2021 Annual Report, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer) Jan 2023

Acer 2020-2021 Annual Report, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

ACER Annual Reports

No abstract provided.

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Rethinking Assessment In Response To Generative Artificial Intelligence, Jacob Pearce, Neville Chiavaroli Jan 2023

Rethinking Assessment In Response To Generative Artificial Intelligence, Jacob Pearce, Neville Chiavaroli

Higher education research

The use of decision-making support tools during assessments, such as electronic differential diagnosis in examinations, is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to how technology is currently changing assessment practice. We have reached a transformative stage in the development of artificial intelligence (AI). We can no longer rely on non-invigilated assessments and submitted ‘artefacts’ to demonstrate student learning and competence. This is bringing many long-term demands on educators, course coordinators and curriculum designers, forcing us to rethink assessment approaches. Going forward, we see an important distinction between ‘assisted’ assessments and ‘unassisted’ assessments. With the recent increase and …

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Equity And Equality In Learning In Asia-Pacific: What Do Results From Large-Scale Assessments Tell Us? Gender In Focus Policy Brief, Syeda Kashfee Ahmed, Anna Dabrowski, Jacqueline Cheng, Victoria Klimova, Isabella Mccallum Jan 2023

Equity And Equality In Learning In Asia-Pacific: What Do Results From Large-Scale Assessments Tell Us? Gender In Focus Policy Brief, Syeda Kashfee Ahmed, Anna Dabrowski, Jacqueline Cheng, Victoria Klimova, Isabella Mccallum

Global education monitoring

This policy brief investigates gender disparities in learning outcomes and the factors contributing to these disparities as identified in large-scale assessment data in Southeast Asia. It additionally provides a set of recommendations aimed at enhancing equitable student learning outcomes while advocating for comprehensive support of gender-based interventions within educational quality initiatives, spanning both systemic and school-level support. The findings presented in this brief are drawn from large-scale assessment (LSA) datasets and secondary analysis of these sources. For more detailed information regarding the large-scale assessments in Southeast Asia, please refer to the appendix section.

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School Leadership That Cultivates Collective Efficacy: Emerging Insights 2022, Kerry Elliott, Hilary Hollingsworth, Aiden Thornton, Liz Gillies, Katherine Henderson Nov 2022

School Leadership That Cultivates Collective Efficacy: Emerging Insights 2022, Kerry Elliott, Hilary Hollingsworth, Aiden Thornton, Liz Gillies, Katherine Henderson

Educational leadership

The work of the Menzies School Leadership Incubator suggests we need a new approach to leadership that supports school leaders to better manage transformational change and deepen collaborative capacity necessary to cultivate collective efficacy to improve student learning outcomes. This paper provides a description of the work of the Menzies School Leadership Incubator (“the Incubator’) and insights generated so far. The Incubator has identified five leadership domains which underpin the leadership of Collective Efficacy; Understanding Collective Efficacy Systems; Leadership Change; Leadership Team, and Leadership Collaborative Capacity.

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Remote Learning For Students With A Disability: Game Changer Or Moment In Time? Literature Review, Marijne Medhurst, Maya Conway, Kathryn Richardson Nov 2022

Remote Learning For Students With A Disability: Game Changer Or Moment In Time? Literature Review, Marijne Medhurst, Maya Conway, Kathryn Richardson

School and system improvement

This literature review draws from Australian and international research into the impact of remote learning for students with disability, published between March 2020 and April 2022. The literature relates to pedagogical services provided by early childhood services and schools to support students with disability, rather than therapeutic services. The social implications for students are reviewed along with educational factors, and implications for inclusion and support by schools. Following an overview of the legal and policy frameworks supporting the education of students with disability, this review investigates benefits, challenges and opportunities for both remote learning and transition back to in-person educational …

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Effects Of Remote Learning On Mental Health And Socialisation. Literature Review, Anna Dabrowski, Pru Mitchell Nov 2022

Effects Of Remote Learning On Mental Health And Socialisation. Literature Review, Anna Dabrowski, Pru Mitchell

School and system improvement

This literature review focuses on the effects of remote learning on mental health, including acute mental health issues and possible ongoing implications for student wellbeing and socialisation. It provides an overview of some of the challenges that can impact on the mental health and relationships of young people, many of which have accelerated or become more complex during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the light of concern about rising antisocial behaviour and extremism there is a focus on socialisation and self-regulation on return to school post-pandemic. In the face of limited Australian research on these topics, the review takes a global …

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Schools As Community Hubs. Literature Review, Ian Teo, Pru Mitchell, Fabienne Van Der Kleij, Anna Dabrowski Nov 2022

Schools As Community Hubs. Literature Review, Ian Teo, Pru Mitchell, Fabienne Van Der Kleij, Anna Dabrowski

School and system improvement

This literature review focuses on community hub models that include an education setting. The goals of these hubs go beyond improving academic outcomes, and look also to the health and wellbeing of their community. This review explores the ways in which education communities operate as welcoming and enriching places that connect, share, and learn with, not only students, families, and educators, but also their wider community. It focuses on a specific model of school-community partnership, typically known as a school community hub. Core features of community hubs are presented as people, partnerships, place and programs. Benefits and challenges of community …

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Review Of The Australian Core Skills Framework And Digital Literacy Skills Framework And Relevant Assessment Tools. Final Report, Louise Wignall, Anita Roberts, Jana Scomazzon Nov 2022

Review Of The Australian Core Skills Framework And Digital Literacy Skills Framework And Relevant Assessment Tools. Final Report, Louise Wignall, Anita Roberts, Jana Scomazzon

Vocational, adult and professional education research

This is the final report of a project commissioned in 2020 by the then Department of Education, Skills and Employment to review the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF) and Digital Literacy Skills Framework (DLSF) and tools available to support assessment using these frameworks. The review explored the development and history of the ACSF and DLSF, their use and application in the Australian context and examined features of selected international adult skills frameworks and curriculum. Through this desktop research and range of consultation activities with stakeholders, the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) has investigated current use of the ACSF and …

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A Formative Evaluation Of The Program For Student Representatives In A University Discipline Panel, Diana Genevive Layag Oct 2022

A Formative Evaluation Of The Program For Student Representatives In A University Discipline Panel, Diana Genevive Layag

International Conference on Assessment and Learning (ICAL)

The university employs a representation of different sectors in the academic community when dealing with major student conduct violations. Among them is the representative of the students. At the time of the study, the student representatives were qualified students who were recruited and trained to become part of the university discipline case conference panel. Upon successful completion of the training, these students were appointed to be members of a program for the pool of student representatives who sit as part of the university adjudicating body, which makes decisions for the university student discipline cases. Terminally, the researcher wanted to improve …

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Introducing The Education Technology Value Evaluation Tool For Schools, Ralph Saubern, Pauline Taylor-Guy, Fabienne Van Der Kleij Oct 2022

Introducing The Education Technology Value Evaluation Tool For Schools, Ralph Saubern, Pauline Taylor-Guy, Fabienne Van Der Kleij

International Conference on Assessment and Learning (ICAL)

Despite the enthusiasm for technology in school education, the importance attributed to it by policymakers, educators, students and parents, and the extensive impact of the changes in practices and provision related to the adoption of digital technologies, research has provided little evidence that the adoption of digital technologies has led to improved outcomes for learners. Given the significant, ongoing investment in technology and research evidence that technology has potential to improve learning outcomes, it is timely for education systems and schools to have access to tools and frameworks that can support effective use of technology in education. This paper introduces …

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Readiness, Response, And Recovery: The Impacts Of Covid-19 On Education Systems In Asia, Anna Dabrowski, Yung Nietschke, Syeda Kashfee Ahmed, Amy Berry, Maya Conway Sep 2022

Readiness, Response, And Recovery: The Impacts Of Covid-19 On Education Systems In Asia, Anna Dabrowski, Yung Nietschke, Syeda Kashfee Ahmed, Amy Berry, Maya Conway

Monitoring Learning

This review provides insights into COVID-19 responses in educational systems in Asia, and to understand which policies and practices were already in place to contribute to system readiness and resilience. Although the evidence base remains scarce, reflecting on the different system and school-level responses in Asia provides opportunity to identify gaps in current policies and research, and consider new ways in which countries in Asia can strengthen their educational systems into the future. It considers what makes an education system resilient, and the importance of school level practices. It uses an analytical framework to review readiness, response and recovery, and …

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Teachers’ Assessment Literacy And Design Competence Framework, Sladana Krstic, Sarah Manlove, Sarah Richardson Aug 2022

Teachers’ Assessment Literacy And Design Competence Framework, Sladana Krstic, Sarah Manlove, Sarah Richardson

2021-2030 ACER Research Conferences

Teachers play a central role in facilitating learning and empowering learners (Pastore & Andrade, 2019). They must possess a high level of assessment literacy to properly fulfil their role of implementing teaching and facilitating students’ learning (Hattie, 2009). Without it, the quality of educational provision can be impacted (Looney et al., 2018). The expectations placed on teachers in relation to their assessment knowledge and skills tend to focus on their ability to design and implement assessment with students, and to use assessment data to inform teaching practices (Brookhart, 2011). Much of the emphasis in the literature is on the mechanical …

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Making Learning Visible: Moving From Nouns To Verbs, Diane Debacker Aug 2022

Making Learning Visible: Moving From Nouns To Verbs, Diane Debacker

2021-2030 ACER Research Conferences

This presentation focuses on the need to make learning visible for all constituents – learners, educators, employers, policymakers and future employees – with a focus on the work of the Center for Certification and Competency-Based Education (C3Be) at the University of Kansas (USA). As K–12 and higher education move to a post-pandemic world, it’s imperative we find different ways to identify learner outcomes and evaluate learning. By moving from nouns to verbs; by moving from course titles to competencies; by moving from transcripts to learner outcomes, learning becomes visible. International educator and founding director of C3Be, Dr Diane DeBacker shows …

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Assessment Moderation: Is It Fit For Purpose?, Lenore Adie Aug 2022

Assessment Moderation: Is It Fit For Purpose?, Lenore Adie

2021-2030 ACER Research Conferences

This presentation outlines the different practices and purposes of assessment moderation and analyses the benefits and issues of these. Two projects are presented; each seeks to improve teacher judgement. Both attempt to redefine what we mean by moderation and how moderation can be conducted to reach diverse and dispersed groups. The first draws on a current Australian Research Council project that is exploring the development of scaled exemplars, the use of commentaries of judgement decisions, and the use of digital platforms to support teachers grading student work. The second draws on the work of the Graduate Teacher Performance Assessment (GTPA) …

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The Transformational Change Of Adaptive Assessment, Jarrod Hingston, Toby Newton Aug 2022

The Transformational Change Of Adaptive Assessment, Jarrod Hingston, Toby Newton

2021-2030 ACER Research Conferences

Organisational change theory often discusses the differences between adaptive change and transformational change; adaptive change being the process of incremental shifts that are intended to drive improvement, while transformational change requires major alterations in processes. In 2019, ACER embarked on a mission to develop a new adaptive testing and reporting system, with the goal of delivering an assessment that would improve the precision of results for every student. While the intention was to introduce an adaptive change in the assessments, the project truly transformed the way that ACER delivers assessments and reports results, a result recognised by the project being …

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An Innovative Method For Teachers To Formatively Assess Writing Online, Dr Sandy Heldsinger, Stephen Humphry Aug 2022

An Innovative Method For Teachers To Formatively Assess Writing Online, Dr Sandy Heldsinger, Stephen Humphry

2021-2030 ACER Research Conferences

Assessment is an integral component of effective teaching and a teacher’s professional judgement influences all routine aspects of their work. In the last 20 years, there has been considerable work internationally to support teachers in using assessment to improve student learning. However, there is a pressing issue that impedes teacher professional judgement being exploited to its full potential. The issue relates to teacher assessments in the context of extended performances such as essays and arises from the complexity of obtaining reliable or consistent teacher assessments of students’ work. Literature published in the United States, England and Australia details evidence of …

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Using Pat Data To Inform Teaching And Learning, Marc Kralj, Rachel Felgate, Shani Sniedze, Caithlin Power, Grant Barclay, Darren Leech Aug 2022

Using Pat Data To Inform Teaching And Learning, Marc Kralj, Rachel Felgate, Shani Sniedze, Caithlin Power, Grant Barclay, Darren Leech

2021-2030 ACER Research Conferences

ACER works with thousands of Australian schools to set up Progressive Achievement Test (PAT) functionality, assign and administer tests, and to assist teachers to understand and interrogate the resulting test data and act upon findings. This session provides participants with an opportunity to hear about a school’s journey, and discuss this with the ACER team and our PAT school guest. ACER researchers have evaluated and documented assessment implementation and professional development opportunities, observing this school’s ability to track student and educator progress over time, which is a critical element in ACER’s Progressive Achievement approach. ACER’s educational consultants will demonstrate how …

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Reimagining Classroom Assessment And Feedback To Meet Learner Needs, Fabienne Van Der Kleij Aug 2022

Reimagining Classroom Assessment And Feedback To Meet Learner Needs, Fabienne Van Der Kleij

2021-2030 ACER Research Conferences

The power of classroom assessment and feedback to improve student learning outcomes has long been recognised. Yet, decades of research have yielded disappointing and often conflicting outcomes. This presentation challenges traditional conceptions of classroom assessment and feedback as teacher-driven practices. To meet learner needs better, it proposes a student-centred perspective in which students are active and have agency. By drawing on an extensive study of feedback reviews, this presentation illustrates how conceptualisations of feedback have changed over recent decades. This paper provides key insights into how classroom assessment and feedback practices can be changed in ways that are sustainable, afford …

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